The Silent Bells Ring
by lazywriter123
Summary: Spencer hates Christmas...and for good reason. When his team want to find out why, they uncover the secrets of his family and get a good look into Spencer's dark past. This is for the-vampire-acts contest of 2010 with the Holiday theme.
1. Chapter 1

I don't own Criminal Minds

This is for the-vampire-acts writing contest 2010 with the holiday theme.

Just to say, no matter what the producers do on the show, I will keep JJ and Prentiss in my stories.

Enjoy

The winter winds blow and the silent snow falls onto the sidewalk. Spencer Reid was walking down the ice-covered concrete. He zips his coat up a bit more to shield himself from the bitter cold. He shivers and adjusts his purple scarf. It was mid-morning and despite the cold and snow, work needed to be done at the office.

He looked up and saw the snow fall down like rain.

_Like blood…_

Spencer sighed and walked into the BAU building. He smiled when he felt the warm air hit his face. Got to love the invention of heating systems. He walked up to the office and noticed that Rossi and Hotch were in the bullpen, discussing about something that he couldn't hear. As he sat down at his desk he caught some of the words.

"…Jack and I are going to visit Jessica and some of my relatives for the holidays…"

"Wonderful…I'm going to huge family reunion for this year. We'll have more food than an army…"

They laughed but didn't seem to notice Spencer yet.

Spencer gave a sad sigh…it was Christmas…again.

Spencer used to like the holidays but after…well that day, Spencer stopped celebrating it. He knows that it has been years since that day but he couldn't help the sorrow and sadness he felt during the winter season. The cold was a great comparison to his heart during the winter months.

He began to work on a report when Hotch and Rossi saw him and walked over to his desk.

"Good morning Reid" said Rossi, he seemed to be in quite a good mood.

"Morning Rossi" Spencer said politely as usual.

_Please don't ask about Christmas._

"What are you doing for the Christmas vacation?"

_Dammit_

"Oh uh…well…I'm going to go to visit my mom for a few days then come home to relax for the remainder…"

"Sounds nice" said Hotch, but he didn't sound…convinced for some reason. As if he knew Spencer was lying.

In all honesty, Spencer's mom Diana hated Christmas as much as he did. For the same reasons. They visit on Thanksgiving but never Christmas. To them they just avoid it and wait for the end of New Years day.

Rossi smiled and patted his back, "It will be nice to see your mom."

Spencer nodded quickly and got back to work.

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After a while, the others came into the office and began working as well. Since it was the last day of work before vacation, they had to get all of the paperwork completed. Which would take all day considering the mass piles of papers they had. Spencer was working quickly and quietly as they laughed and talked about Christmas.

Finally Morgan turned to Spencer.

_Here it comes…_

"You got plans for Christmas Reid" asked Morgan.

"…I'm going to visit my mom, that's about it."

Morgan's eyebrows rose, "That's nice but don't you have other family members you want to visit. Aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents?"

Spencer looked up from his work and sighed, "I have to use the bathroom, excuse me."

Spencer went out the office doors and down the hall. Morgan watched him go, "What was that all about" he wondered.

Spencer splashed some water on his faced and patted it dry with a paper towel.

Yes he had a…unique family. They used to be close at one point…before what happened one Christmas that it. Since then the family has been at a standstill. There was so much that his team didn't know about his family. He wondered if it was worth trying to tell them what happened. But he really didn't want to in the least. He was already weird in their eyes…why make it worse.

Spencer stepped out of the restroom and walked back into the office. He noticed that his teammates were staring at him.

_Now they will want an explanation._

They watched him sit down and continue to work. "Reid" said Prentiss gently. Spencer sighed and looked up at her.

"Are you ok?"

Spencer nodded, "Yes, I just want to get this work done."

Of course they wouldn't buy it but Spencer didn't say another word. Morgan decided that if Reid wouldn't talk, he would get Garcia to help him.

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In Garcia's office, Morgan and her looked up Spencer's relatives. When they say the list they were in shock.

"Wow, Reid has quite an extensive family, let's see here…oh my."

"What is it baby-girl?"

"Reid's family is super rich; they own an estate that would rival any Bill Gates. The manor is in Germany, were most of Spencer's family lives anyway. As of right now, only Reid and his parents live in the United States. At least alive relatives do, he had an uncle move to the U.S. a while back."

Morgan was puzzled, why would Spencer not want to visit his family in Germany. Did something happen or was he just not close to them?

Morgan and Garcia went out of the room and into the bullpen.

"Reid…why don't you visit your family in Germany" asked Garcia when walked up to Spencer's desk. Spencer head shot up and his eyes were wide.

"How did you…"

"Reid we can easily look up your family with a click of a mouse" said Garcia with a smile. Spencer looked back down at his papers.

"My family…isn't that close…"

"Why not?"

Spencer turned and saw Hotch and Rossi standing behind him.

_Great…boxed in with no escape…._

"Look I rather not talk about it…."

"Reid you should hang out with your relatives. You and your mom would have fun in Germany. Why pass that up" said JJ.

"Guys please…I rather not…"

"Come on man, live a little. You'll be with great family and have food, games and laughs…."

Images from that day flooded Spencer mind again, he couldn't go through this again.

"I SAID DROP IT" Spencer shouted.

The others stepped back in shock. Spencer took a deep breath and sighed, "Please…just leave me alone…"

They silently went back to work but still kept thinking about Spencer's outburst.

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	2. Chapter 2

I don't own Criminal Minds

Enjoy

Spencer walked into the break room to get a strong cup of coffee. He was still seething about Garcia and Morgan for snooping into his family life. Well…lack thereof.

So with a heavy sigh, he drank the coffee to calm himself and rationalize the situation. Now that he had an outburst like that, the team will never let the topic drop. They will keep asking him why wasn't he with his family or at least spending the holidays with them.

He made himself another cup after he finished his current one and walked back into the bullpen.

His team was working amongst themselves quietly, but Spencer could easily tell that they were watching him. It irritated him greatly.

So for the rest of the day, they worked diligently until it was about five pm. Spencer grabbed his bag and some more files to finish over the vacation.

But just before he could turn to leave, the team was around him again.

_Damn it all._

"Alright Reid, spill it. Why don't you go see your family" asked Garcia, determination in her eyes.

Spencer sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Look guys, this is a very…hard topic for me to discuss. My family and I are…very different. We used to be close, somewhat…"

"But Spencer you have a big family that means a bug party and fun. Why miss out on that?"

"Garcia, my family never has reunions or parties. We hardly know each other. I have two close cousins but since…well we haven't talked in a good while that's all."

"But why?"

_Please just drop it._

"This is all I'm going to discuss about it." He finally managed to squeeze by his team and left the office in a hurry.

The team watched him leave and they still had undying curiosity about Spencer's family.

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"Hi is this Rose Wilson" asked JJ over the speaker phone with the rest of the team sitting around it.

"Oh yes….who is this?"

"I'm JJ I work with your cousin Spencer Reid."

"…Oh I haven't heard from him in years…why are you calling?"

"Well, we want to invite you and Ross Brady and you can all get together for the holidays. It's a surprise for Spencer."

There was a long pause.

"…you have no idea why he left do you?"

JJ frowned, "What do you mean?"

"Look our family is insanely old –fashioned and superstitious. Especially with what happened to our grandparents. They wanted him to conform to their ways. If he did he would be married by the age of seventeen."

The team looked at each other. "Our family is an old aristocratic family, Spencer is the youngest blood relative at this point and the only one that isn't married. Spencer's parents moved to America because Diana didn't want an arranged marriage. Spencer was going to married too…but…look that's all I'm going to say about it. Just let Spencer be…its better if he stays away…"

Click.

The team looked at one another in disbelief. There was more to Spencer's family then they realized.

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	3. Chapter 3

I don't own Criminal Minds

Enjoy

Spencer sat on his couch and decided to watch TV, a documentary on whales was on. After a few minutes he went into the kitchen to make some coffee. As he walked into the living room to sit down, he noticed that there was some mail on the floor near his door. In his fury from coming home from the office, he didn't notice the small pile.

He walked over and picked up the letters. He looked through them quickly.

_Bill…_

_Bill…_

_Subscription offer…_

_Junk…_

_Junk…_

But then he stopped when he saw the last letter, his hands stopped moving.

It was a letter from his Aunt Catherin from Germany. Why would she be sending him a letter? But then he frowned.

_Probably trying to guilt trip me about being unmarried like she used to. God I told them I wouldn't marry her. The last thing I want is too married to some rich, snobby girl from another noble family. Its bad enough I part of one. _

Slowly he opened the letter and read it.

_Dear Spencer,_

_ I know it's been a few years since we last have seen each other, but I wanted to let you know that your dear Uncle Allan has died two days ago from heart failure. I implore you to come to the funeral in a week. I'll pay for the ticket myself if I have too…unless your too heartless to grant your uncle one last good bye._

Guilt tripping again, he thought with a sigh.

_Also the rest of the family wants to see you. There is also a lovely young lady from a family from western Germany that would love to meet you. I'm sure you and her will become close friends._

Of course…

_I expect to see you soon, Merry Christmas._

_ From,_

_ Your Aunt Catherin _

Spencer sat down and sighed, his uncle was dead…that sucked. They used to go fishing together and talk about books when he was younger. He remembered talking the long flights to Germany and he would be standing at the gate and give Spencer a big hug.

Yet, after the…accident, he became cold and withdrawn. We all did in a way. Grandma and Grandpa brought life and love to our family once.

One of the reasons why I stopped visiting.

Mom made a firm statement when she was young that she would marry for love so she left to live in Las Vegas. She did marry but then her sickness started to appear. She never visited but Spencer would with his uncle that lived in the states or Spencer would go alone_._

He sighed again and drank his coffee. He really was left with no choice but to go to Germany. But he made a huge promise to himself.

_I will only go for the funeral and then leave right after. One day and I'm gone. _

Just then the doorbell rang.


End file.
